Jocelyn McCullough, C’2025, is an international studies major and refugee and forced migration minor who had always dreamed of traveling to Rwanda to learn more about the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi.
This past Spring, her dream came true when she traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, to live and study as part of The School of International Training’s (SIT) Post-Genocide Restoration and Peacebuilding program. McCullough spent 15 weeks in Rwanda, immersing herself in the culture and learning about the Rwandan genocide firsthand on the 30th anniversary of the tragedy.
“As an indigenous woman of the Americas and this being my first time in Africa, I felt so welcomed by Rwanda. Learning about the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi has been an ever-evolving experience full of insight and heartache,” said McCullough. “I recommend all to come to Rwanda, the land of expansion, whether for fun or education. It is a nation full of enlightenment and prosperity.” 
McCullough’s program consisted of 16 credits with SIT, where she took courses in anatomy of genocide and intrastate conflict, Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda, and more. She lived with a host family for two months before moving to Musanze to intern with Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities (HROC), where she worked as a trauma healing training co-facilitator and co-teacher for a primary school.
The Falls Church, Virginia, native said the most notable difference between the United States and Rwanda was the country’s focus on women’s education, growth and development. McCullough called to attention Rwanda’s focus on women in politics, where women hold 63% of Rwandan parliament seats. 
After graduating from Spelman, McCullough plans to join the Peace Corps and start her own non-profit centered around creating trauma healing centers on a global scale.
“I am going to miss the ability to make people smile here when I speak Kinyarwanda. I am going to miss the silence. I am going to miss the music. I am going to miss the conservation efforts of culture. Most of all, I will miss how safe I feel here as a woman,” said McCullough. “I plan to support Rwanda for the rest of my life. She holds a special place in my heart.”